


Wanderlight: Chapter 1.

by laughingfatman



Series: Wanderlight: a World of Warcraft story. [1]
Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25628917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laughingfatman/pseuds/laughingfatman
Summary: Wanderlust.(noun)A strong desire to travel."King Anduin Wrynn is consumed by wanderlust"With peace between the Alliance and the Horde all but made official, Anduin Wrynn finds himself over come by a want to take a break from the worries and stresses of rule and after a conversation with one of his Bodyguards this want turns into a desire to travel.In fact: a holiday sounds like a good idea.But is a vacation really a good idea when the world is always changing?
Series: Wanderlight: a World of Warcraft story. [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1857799
Kudos: 3





	Wanderlight: Chapter 1.

Stormwind was a vast city to behold, it’s sheer size evident beneath the warm summer sun as life persisted on with renewed vigour. The people who called the metropolis home blissfully unaware of just how close they had come to damnation and madness, oh if only those who had seen it could forget. To take the horrors of Ny’alotha and the war that had taken up the past year and put them away in a box to forget they had ever happened, but alas? Such a feat was impossible. As much as Stormwinds King would prefer to have it otherwise even for only a few hours.

Anduin Wrynn set down his quill and looked out at the view of his home, his domain to rule, his people. The high office of his personal residence within the keep boasted the best panoramas of the city if the mutterings of court were anything to go by and the young monarch found himself often looking out from it with pensive thoughts in mind. These musings had not been in short supply either, as the wars against both Sylvanas Windrunner's horde and the Old God N’zoth had given him much cause to think on courses of action, solutions to problems, and how to handle the aftermath once the dust had settled. Since then those courses had been taken, and the problems had been solved, and with the letter he’d just finished signing; potentially an end to the hostilities between the Alliance and the Horde for what he hoped would be the last time.  
After letting the ink dry, Anduin folded the letter, sealed it, and passed it off to an aide who would send it on its way to Orgrimmar; where Thrall and the council he’d convened to manage the currently leaderless Horde would likely respond in good time. But with that done Anduin could now relax, and as he cast his gaze once again back out over the city with thoughts of what he could do with the rest of his day; perhaps he could finish that book he was reading, or maybe rest his eyes for a time. Both ideas certainly had merit, but as a cool breeze wafted through the open window the young man felt an urge to stretch his legs and he rose from his desk.

A walk sounded like a good idea.

It must have always been a special occasion for the King of Stormwind to walk amongst his people. To them he was probably one of those figures whom some looked upon with reverence for his station or scorn because of how lofty his life was compared to theirs; especially in the poorer parts of the city. Considering what Anduin had faced in the wars since his coronation, from Demons infiltrating his private quarters, to even visiting the broken shore himself, the risk of being attacked by those of ill-intent seemed quite mundane by comparison. However, for the sake of his own safety, SI:7 had specifically requested he make his visits to the capital’s Old town district as infrequent as possible.

  
So instead he and the quartet of Royal Guards assigned to him walked along the canals, briefly stopping to converse with a shop owner so he could have an apple or few to snack on while he walked, and before long they found themselves in the cemetery park behind the Cathedral of Light; a pleasantly quiet space that seemed separate from the hustle and bustle that surrounded it. It was a place Anduin often visited to contemplate when his mind was foggy, and to pay a quiet respect to the gravestones of his mother and father, the former of which he could see across the cemetery’s small lake in the modest mausoleum where she lay interred.

  
For a moment he stood there, letting the wind play across his face and he enjoyed the quiet, then with a gesture of his hand he bade that his guards retreat to a distance that he might have some privacy; waiting for them to do so before calling out.  
“Shadefeather?”

  
The words, or rather the name, hung in the air for a moment before a figure appeared to Anduin’s right, dropping down from the small gazebo that the priests sometimes used to conduct services when the weather was good.  
Lillelai Shadefeather, was a Kaldorei with short and tidy green hair, skin of a lavender hue that was typical of her race, and was clad in practical black and grey leather armour with a simple mask to conceal the lower part of her face; at her hips sat a pair of practical looking short swords.  
“Yes, my king?” she said, her tone plain as she sunk to one knee and bowed her head to him.

  
Before speaking he gestured again with an upward motion of his hand, a subtle sign that she needs not kneel before him to which she responded by coming to her feet.  
“I was wondering where you would appear from this time,” he commented, a hand opening the paper bag to retrieve one of the apples he’d purchased earlier; much to the surprise of the shop keeper who’d just assumed that he should give them to the king for free. “Would you like an apple?”

  
“I shouldn’t eat on duty” she replied evenly, seemingly looking both at him and everywhere around him at once as per her SI:7 training.

  
“Then perhaps you could save it for later?” and before she could say another word he very obviously withdrew one of the fruits from the bag and lightly tossed it towards her, which she caught with as much ease as he expected of the bodyguard.

  
“Thank you,” she replied and Anduin couldn’t help but maybe catch a faint hint of amusement to her otherwise neutral tone. Lillelai had been one of the bodyguards assigned to guard the king in addition to the Royal Guard while the king was at home in Stormwind, she seemed to be the one assigned to keep watch during the day time which allowed him to converse with the Night Elf on occasion when she should have otherwise been working. Though he tried not to make a habit of it out of respect for her.

“I was wondering if I could ask you something?” he queried after taking a bite from his own apple, enjoying the sweet and crisp flavour of it before speaking.

  
“What about, my king?” she replied, the apple she now held vanishing into a pouch upon her belt.

  
“I was curious, and you don’t need to answer if you would rather not, but what did you do before you were recruited by SI:7?”  
There was a pause, either as Lillelai processed the question, or asked herself why the king was inquiring about her past; if she told him to leave the subject alone, he wouldn’t blame her.

  
“I must confess I don’t see how that would be important knowledge to yourself, my king?”

  
“I’m just curious,” he replied while lacing his tone with apology; perhaps he had pried to far “you’ve been my shadow in the city ever since my coronation, but we’ve never spoken beyond exchanging pleasantries and light conversation”

  
“That is by Master Shaw's design, my king. He doesn’t want personal entanglements to distract my attention from ensuring your safety”

  
“Ah, well then allow me to apologise” he simply stated and bowed his head to her by way of further conveying his meaning “if it is against SI:7’s policy then you are free to resume your post”  
Another moments pause filled the silence as Anduin turned his head back towards the cemetery, fully expecting his bodyguard to find a new hiding place since she had revealed her previous one to anyone who may be watching. But to his surprise she eventually answered his question.  
  
“Before I was recruited I was an adventurer, if you would like to use the common term for it, though I thought Mercenary was more fitting personally”  
That certainly got his attention, and as he looked back he found her leaning against the side of the Gazebo with her eyes as watchful as ever and a smile formed on his face but he let his vision return to looking across the lake once more so she could continue if she wanted without his further prompting.  
“Most of it was simple hunting or protection work, even fought the good fight against the horde more than once, then after a series of mistakes I ended up in a position to get recruited by SI:7”

That was more information then Anduin had expected and as much as he wanted to press for more information, it was also clear to him that persisting for more information might make things uncomfortable so best to change subject very slightly.  
“I must confess, there is a perhaps somewhat naïve part of me that is somewhat jealous of the lives lead by adventurers” he said, a whimsical tone seeping into his voice as day dreams from when he was much younger floated to the surface of his mind “in theory it sounds like it’d be a very fulfilling life, to see the world, battle the forces of darkness when they’re found, and drink amongst friends in the evenings after the day’s events”  
  
“so, the stories say,” Lillelai replied simply though Anduin imagined it was more out of politeness then actual agreement, between of the two of them she’d have a better perspective on the topic then he did.  
  
“Of course, they do, and that’s just what they are when you look at the reality” he paused, taking another bite from his apple and chewing on it while he contemplated his next words.  
“Taking what money you can get, which sometimes requires you to compromise on your morals from time to time just so you can afford to eat for the night? Not many would call that a good life, even if some people tend to romanticise it”

Lillelai didn’t respond.

“Still, the idea has always appealed to me; honestly that same naïve part of me would be willing to have a go of it? If only to have a break from attending court and dealing with the nobles and their requests for a time”  
At first it seemed like she wasn’t going to respond again, and Anduin began to wonder as to if he’d overstepped on the topic despite his intentions, however before he could apologise, she chose to reply.

“May I speak freely, my king?”  
  
“Of course,” he replied, once again looking back at her and turning to face her properly “speak your mind”  
  
“It sounds like you are in need of a break,” she stated, her eyes never meeting his own even when she glanced in his direction “take a holiday, or just tell the nobles you’re not seeing them for a week”  
  
That last part made him laugh slightly, more out of surprise than actual humour but his chuckle was still warm and jovial.  
“I can only imagine the reaction I’d receive if I told them that,” though as he spoke, the first part of her recommendation did begin to sound more appealing the longer he dwelt on it.  
“Very well then, say you were in my boots? Where would you go?”  
  
Lillelai seemed to consider this, folding their arms across their torso with their eyes squinting ever so slightly as she thought.  
“somewhere I’ve been meaning to visit for some time, but haven’t had the chance to”  
  
A vague answer to be sure, but a good one by Anduins standards and his mind began to scroll through a list of places he’d been wanting to visit for some time. Since the accords of peace with the Horde had now been potentially signed into effect, he could pay a visit to Suramar and explore the ancient elven city, or he could speak with Baine Bloodhoof and sojourn himself at Thunderbluff for a while; though he could already hear Genn and Mathias Shaws cries of:  
“Absolutely not!” at the prospect of him visiting two of the Hordes hubs of power and the risks contained therein.  
  
“The idea certainly sounds appealing... Thank you for your candor Operative Shadefeather”  
  
“Of course, my king.” she replied while moving to stand upright once more before bowing “now if you have nothing else to ask me, I will return to my duties”  
  
Without another word she began to turn away, but still he nodded all the same and as she lithely leapt back atop the gazebo Anduin couldn’t help but smile as he saw the bodyguard retrieve the apple from her belt pouch.  
  
A Holiday sounded like a good idea.


End file.
